


The rain is not the sea

by Memileh



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: I'm not sure what to call it, M/M, but it is definitely an AU, cecilos - Freeform, opposites AU???, where everything is the opposite of the way things normally are, you'll see - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-11
Updated: 2017-06-01
Packaged: 2018-02-16 23:35:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2288774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Memileh/pseuds/Memileh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A friendly coastal community where the sun is warm, the sea is beautiful, and nothing interesting ever happens to anyone. Until something interesting does happen, but it is more interesting to some then others.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nut job in a lab coat

“Good morning listeners, it’s shaping up to be a beautiful September Saturday. I hope all of you out there have someone to enjoy it with. As always I’ll be here threw the afternoon keeping you up to date with today’s news. So let’s get right to it, with today’s Surf Report.” Cecil shifted to a more comfortable position in his chair as he read off the papers in front of him. Today was a slow news day. Every day was a slow news day in Sea Crest. The sleepiness of the little town was what had originally drawn Cecil to live there, but sometimes he found himself questioning why he, as a news reporter, had decided to live in a place where a new stoplight was a big deal. He had grown up in a big city, with big buildings, big events and big news all the time. Cecil had his reasons for coming here, he knew them well, but sometimes the monotony was nearly unbearable. His intern Maureen sighed loudly into her headset. The sound crackled out of the speakers in Cecil’s old headphones. Without missing a beat he looked over at her, raising an eyebrow in a silent ‘what’.  
“There’s a mad scientist trying to get into city hall.” Maureen grumbled to him. Cecil drew his brows together in confusion. “Oh my god,” Maureen continued, apparently talking to someone on the phone. “... Jessica I swear if you are screwing with me again heads will roll.” Cecil wrapped up his segment and started a pre-recorded ad. “Maureen, what’s going on?” Maureen was shaking her head with her face in her hands. At the call of her name she looked up. “There’s some nut job in a lab coat at city hall trying to get a meeting with the… ‘Elder Council’.” She said making dramatic air quotes over the last words. “Really,” Cecil said, interest perked. This was probably the most newsworthy thing to happen in Sea Crest in the three years he had been working there. “Could you go over there and write up a quick report. Get a statement too, if you can.”  
“No way! I’m not getting anywhere near that guy! What if he’s unstable…” Maureen demanded. “Go get your own statement.”  
“I highly doubt you have anything to worry about Maureen, besides if Lauren notices I’m gone she’ll have a heart attack.” Cecil said waving off the idea.  
“Lauren doesn’t give a rat’s ass about this station and you know it.” Maureen said irritably.  
Cecil rolled his eyes as he queued a few pre-recorded segments and took off his headphones. “Fine,” he said grabbing his messenger bad, “I’ll go myself.” Maureen was right after all, the management didn’t pay much attention to WUSS. It was the least listened to radio station in the greater Sea Crest area. With a population of only 300 there was a high likelihood that all of his listeners could be counted on one hand. The station’s unpopularity, in Cecil’s opinion at least, had a lot to do with the fact that WUSS was only allowed to cover news in the city of Sea Crest proper. Anything that happened outside city lines was reserved exclusively for WZZZ, and the station’s star personality, Kevin. He would be all over this story though, that prick. Cecil grunted, half with frustration half with effort, as he shoved open the studio door. It was old and cranky and didn’t like to open unless it was exactly seventy three and a half degrees. Maureen meet him in the hall from the control booth. “This really should be your responsibility you know.” Cecil told her sternly, “If you are serious about becoming a radio presenter you have to take the initiative.” Maureen leaned coolie against the doorframe of the control booth and replied. “I’m only here for the college credits.” With a heavy sigh Cecil moved past her, heading for the back door. He needed to get to this one first.

City hall was in the middle of town, only a short walk from the station. As Cecil got close it quickly became apparent that word had gotten out about this strange man, as about a quarter of the town seemed to be gather across the street from the large brick building that was city hall. The louse crowd muttered and pointed with general disapproval, but no one seemed bold enough to approach the scene. As Cecil made his way to the head of the crowd he saw a dark skinned man in a lab coat arguing adamantly with a security guard. Their conversation was too quiet to be made out from across the street, but Cecil could tell that the security guard was about ready to call in all twelve officers in Sea Crest’s police force. Without thinking Cecil started out across the street, heading toward the arguing men. As he got closer their conversation became audible, the man in the lab coat was insisting that he needed to speak with the Elder Council as soon as possible. “For the last time”, the security guard growled, “there is no Elder Council! If you want to see the City Council you will have to make an appointment and wait.”  
“But-“ The other man was about to argue but Cecil not so graciously butted in. “Hello,” he asserted cutting off what the man in the lab coat was about to say. “I’m from the local radio news station, would you be willing to give a statement?” At Cecil’s interruption the stranger turned away from the security guard, who seized the opportunity to remove himself from the situation. “Oh, I’m sorry, but as I was telling Robert…” The stranger turned back to where the security guard apparently named Robert had been standing. He paused for a moment taking in the lack of Robert before sighing and continuing his explanation. “I need to speak with the Elder Council as soon as possible.” He said desperately. “I need to file for living arrangements, and request permits to look at and think about forbidden areas. Not to mention I need to hold a town meeting to alert everyone to what I’m working on. I don’t want to cause a panic.” For a moment all Cecil could do was stair. He could tell the stranger was waiting for a response but, how do you respond to that? “Uh…um well you… you don’t get living arrangements from the City Council.” Cecil stammered. “But how will I know where to live?” The man asked frowning. Cecil was starting to really regret butting in. Remembering the large crowd across the street he glanced over his shoulder. Had it gotten bigger? He looked back at the stranger really seeing him for the first time. His dark skin was almost completely covered by what looked like 3 sweatshirts under his lab coat, his jeans looked weathered, as if they had been left out in the sun too long. The edges of his shoes were caked in a red-brown mud. His hair was black, thick, and curly and buzzed along the sides of his head. He had a strong jaw and perfect teeth, and oh no he’s hot. Cecil gave his head a shake to get his thoughts back on track. “Fallow me.” He said suddenly and started walking in the opposite direction of the crowd, not checking to see if the stranger was following. From behind him he heard cheering and increased his pace. “What are they cheering about?” Called the stranger from behind him. “Just ignore them.” Cecil replied hastily.

Once they were a fair distance from city hall Cecil stopped and turned to face the stranger once again. As he did he pulled a scratchpad and pen from his messenger bag. At the sight of the objects the stranger made an incredulous face. “What?” Cecil asked, pausing his writing. “Is that legal?” The stranger replied warily. Cecil just returned the incredulous look and started writing again. He ripped the sheet free from the pad and handed it over. “Who’s Stacy Clemons?”  
“She owns some beach houses in town,” Cecil replied, “there should be plenty of vacancies this time of year. Just don’t tell her I gave you the number.”  
“Who are you anyway,” the stranger replied, “earlier you said you were on the radio?”  
“Oh…yes I host a local news show,” Cecil said uneasily, trying discreetly to not have to give his name to this very strange stranger.  
“What’s the station?” The stranger asked, trying to neatly fold the paper Cecil had given him without paying attention to it, and only succeeding in looking absolutely adorable. “I would really like to listen to your show some time”. Oh no red flag Cecil’s brain screamed as he scrambled to figure out just what was happening. Was lab coat man flirting with him? Bigger red flag, was it working? Cecil found himself unable to stop the corners of his mouth from twisting up and saying, “its 88.5 WUSS.” He wished he could have pulled the words back as soon as they left his mouth. The stranger smiled a little bigger, giving up on the paper and stuffing it into the pocket of his lab coat holding out a hand to Cecil. “I’m Carlos.” The stranger said suddenly a tad shy. Cecil shook his hand reluctantly. ‘Fake name, fake name, give him a fake name’ “Cecil” ‘Damn it!’  
“Cecil,” Carlos repeated. Something about the way Carlos said Cecil’s name made it sound strange. Like it was spelled with about three dozen more letters than it actually was. The name hung in the air between them for a moment before Carlos continued. “It’s nice to meet you.” Suddenly Carlos’s expression changed from stars struck puppy, to star struck puppy who has just been presented with his favorite toy. “Hay maybe since I can’t call a town meeting you could tell the citizens of Sea Crest why I’m here!”  
“Oh um…” Cecil stammered caught off guard by Carlos’s sudden excitement, “I suppose I could mention it on the show.” That was kind of the reason he had come down to City Hall, almost. “Great!” Carlos went on enthusiastically, “I’m a scientist, and I’m here to study your town.” As Carlos talked Cecil started jotting down notes on his scratch pad. Carlos still looked a bit uncomfortable with the idea but didn’t question it again. “What exactly do you mean by ‘study the town’?” Cecil asked, “Are you an anthropologist?” Carlos looked confused at the question. “A what? No I’m a Scientist.”  
“What kind of scientist?” Cecil urged.  
“A Scientist. You know the kind that study science.” Carlos replied with a chuckle.  
Cecil looked up from his notes for a moment, about to debate that response, but instead decided that he gave up and just wanted out of this conversation as soon as possible.  
“Oh right.” was what he ended up saying.  
“Is it always this cold here?” Carlos asked out of the blue.  
“It’s like sixty five degrees.” Cecil said bluntly.  
“Yeah aren’t you cold?” Carlos replied crossing his arms across his chest and rubbing absently at one of them.  
“No,” Cecil responded slowly, “It’s still technically summer. This is just the beginning of the cold season.”  
“It gets colder?” Carlos replied sounding horrified.  
“Hay I need to get back to the station,” Cecil said instead of answering, “my show will be back on soon.”  
“Oh… okay.” Carlos said sounding unnecessarily disappointed, “thank you for the help Cecil. I really appreciate it.”  
“Don’t mention it.” Cecil replied as he waved a quick good bye and headed back towards the station at a higher than average speed. 

Cecil came into the station through the back door. As it clacked closed Maureen poked her head out of the booth door looking wide eyed at him. “What did you do?” She demanded. He paused, messenger bag half way off over his head. “What are you talking about?” He said moving once more. “We’ve had like,” she paused to think for a moment, counting on her fingers, “seven callers in the past fifteen minutes.” Cecil opened his mouth to say something but Maureen cut him off. “None of them were the wrong number.”  
“I got a statement.” Cecil said with a grunt as he yanked open the recording booth door. He flopped into his chair, fishing the scratchpad out of his bag before tossing it back under the desk. Maureen had returned to her booth and seemed to be answering yet another phone call. Cecil slipped on his headphones and found himself listening to the weather forecast, from last week...  
“Maureen what happened to the segments I queued?” Cecil asked with mild agitation. “Those ended about ten minutes before you got back.” The intern replied. Cecil hastily looked at his watch, there was no way he could have been gone that long. He must have really lost track of time. “Why didn’t you call me?” He asked only to receive an annoyed glare from Maureen as she punch a button on the phone’s speed dial. A moment later his attention was drawn to his cell phone buzzing at the end of the desk, displaying the name ‘Oh God it’s Her’. “You couldn’t play something current?” He pressed. The intern tossed her hands into the air in a ‘what do you want form me’ kind of gesture. “College credits!” she insisted. “She is back in school on Wednesday.” Cecil quietly reminded himself as he shut off the segment, switching back to live broadcast.  
“Sorry for the interruption listeners, we’re back with an update on the strange man in the lab coat. We now know his name is Carlos, and he is a Scientist. He has come to study our little town. What exactly it is he studies… He did not say. He also neglected to mention how long he would be staying in Sea Crest. As for the incident at City Hall, it was merely a misunderstanding. It seems that Carlos is from a place with customs wildly different from our own. I am sure we have nothing to worry about.” The rest of the show went on normally, and it seemed like no time at all before Cecil was signing off for the day. He gathered his things quickly leaving the studio ready for the next broadcaster. Maureen meet him in the hallway as he shoved the door open again. “You really think that Carlos guy is nothing to worry about?” She asked. Cecil shouldered his bag as he spoke. “I don’t think he is dangerous if that’s what you’re asking.” Maureen sighed. “That’s not what I’m asking.”  
“I’m sure whatever madhouse he escaped from will come looking for him soon enough.” At that the intern smirked and retreated back into the control booth to finish preparing for the next show.


	2. Radio Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlos does some Science and misses home.

Carlos stood staring out over the ocean. The setting sun turning the water a yellowish orange color. It reminded him of the vast empty sands of his dessert home. He swallowed a sharp ping of homesickness for his Night Vale. A breeze pushed past him, sending a shiver threw his body, bringing him back to the task at hand. This was the most important research project he had ever undertaken. It was probably the most important project he would ever undertake on both a personal and professional level. All of his prior research had pointed him here, to this small, strange and outrageously cold little town. He had thought that maybe now that he was working in a small town again things would be more like they were back home. Much to his surprise and disappointment though things were even stranger here than in the larger cities he had worked in. For starters there wasn’t a single police or government monitoring device in the beach house he had rented. There was at least government assigned living facilities in the larger cities but not here. If it hadn’t been for Cecil, the handsome radio host, he wouldn’t even know where to start looking for a place to live. Also the townspeople seemed to be abnormally docile in comparison to normal people. There hadn’t been a single violent outburst since his arrival. Further research revealed that there hadn’t been one for quite a while before his arrival either. Maybe there was a sedative in the air supply? He would have to look into it later. Now that he had finally finished the Ocean Observation Orb, or OOO for short, it was time to start collecting some heard data. 

Carlos looked out over the ocean again searching for a good place to deploy the OOO. Currently he was standing on the Sea Crest Pier about level with a line of surfers riding the ebb and flow of the water. As the sun sank into the ocean and the waves became smaller and smaller, many of them had begun heading back to shore. Tucking their boards under their arms and moving slowly up the beach. As Carlos moved up the pier he noticed that one of them was not heading inland. He was just sitting out on the water, his hands rested gently on the surface and his head tilted up to the void. He almost looked ready to recite one of the ancient chants. Intrigued Carlos stopped and watched for a moment. After a few second the surfer seemed to come back to himself, laying out on his board and padded toward shore as all the others had. Carlos wasn’t sure what he had been expecting to happen but the fact that it didn’t left him a little disappointed. He glanced over the railing of the pier and decided that this was as good a spot as any to deploy the OOO. He gave the spherical device in his hands a little twist to activate it. The OOO flashed three bright pulses before settling into a subtle glow. Satisfied that the device was activated properly Carlos lobed the glowing ball off the pier, where it promptly disappeared into the dark water. As Carlos turned to leave he saw the last remaining surfer staring back at where the OOO had just sunk and then turned his attention up to Carlos himself. He was now paddling much more aggressively toward the shore. Carlos was pretty sure he hadn’t violated any laws but thought maybe he should leave in a hurry just in case and began making hast toward the head of the pier. He thought he was in the clear as he made his way off the weathered wood and was in the process of hustling across the bike path and up toward the street when someone called out after him. If Carlos had not recognized the voice, a voice he had very much wanted to speak with again, he probably would have booked it for the safety of the nearest bush, but instead he stopped and turned to meet his pursuer. 

His pursuer happen to be none other than the handsome and kind radio host he had meat about a week prier. He jogged up to Carlos, closing the distance with a few bouncing strides. Carlos hardly recognized the radio host as he approached. When they had first met Cecil had been sharply dressed in a button up shirt and vest. His hair precisely styled. Now however it was disheveled and soaked with ocean water. Carelessly shoved away from his face. His wet suit clinging to his body and he carried a purple surfboard under one arm. Carlos’s heart rate elevated at the sight. As the radio host jogged up to him Carlos noticed that Cecil looked angry.  
“Hi Cecil” Carlos said trying to sound like someone with a normal pules.  
“What was that thing”, Cecil demanded skipping right over the pleasantries?  
“Oh you mean the OOO”, Carlos replied unfazed by Cecil’s sharp tone. “It stands for Ocean Observation Orb. It for science”. As he explained Cecil’s angry expression faded.  
“Oh”, was all Cecil said. There was science between them for a few seconds before Carlos spoke again.   
“I’ve been listening to your show”, he said shyly bowing his head. “It reminds me of the radio show I listen to in my home town. The one I use to listen to I mean.” Carlos’s heart sank remembering his Night Vale as it used to be. “It’s been so long I had almost forgotten about it. Night Vale has been quiet for a very long time. After the Voice was silenced everything fell apart.” Carlos looked back at Cecil, who looked confused.   
“Sorry,” Carlos said perking up again, “I mean I really like your show. People probably tell you that all the time though.” He went on a little embarrassed.   
“No not really,” Cecil retorted quietly, almost to himself. Carlos was greatly surprised by Cecil’s response and was about to say so but Cecil spoke before he could.   
“That OOO thing,” Cecil said sounding uncertain, “you’re not going to leave it there are you?”  
“No, no,” Carlos replied with a smile, “I didn’t build it to transmit wirelessly. I will need to collect it in a few weeks.” At that Cecil let out a sigh, finally seeming to relax.   
“That’s a relief,” Cecil said. “Wait did you say you made that thing?”  
“Uh… yeah,” Carlos said as if that should be common sense, “I’m a scientist, I make all my equipment.”  
“Well,” Cecil replied, “that is, uh that’s impressive.”   
At that moment an idea struck Carlos that made his heart jump, his stomach sink, and his knees feel a little shaky. The opportunity was there for the taking and he wasn’t going to let it slip by.  
“If you’re interested maybe we could get together some time, I could show you the other things I’m working on”? Carlos asked with a grin, hope welling in his chest.  
“Uh I…” Cecil stammered, “Thanks but, I think all that science stuff is a bit over my head.”  
“Oh,” Carlos said sadly, “okay then.”  
“I’ve really got to get going”, Cecil continued already starting to back away.  
“Okay, bye Cecil,” Carlos said raising his hand in a small wave. Cecil returned the gesture and headed away into the growing darkness. Carlos stood watching him go for a moment before leaving in the opposite direction for his rented beach house.

Carlos sighed heavily as he pushed the beach house door closed behind him. Making his way into the cramped house, he carefully scooted past a table covered in beakers containing bubbling liquids of various colors towards the back of the living room where a chalk board covered in numbers rested against the wall. Bending down he picked up the cord to a small floor heater and plugged it into the nearby wall outlet, and flopped down in an armchair directly in front of the heater. Carlos leaned deeper into his chair as the warmth from the weak little heater swirled around his ankles. He was having a hard time adjusting to the cold weather in this strange little town. All of the other cities he had been to had been in hot desert areas, similar to home. It only made sense for what he was looking for to be in a place like that. But time and again, desert city after desert city he came up empty. He was running out of leads, who was he kidding, he was out of leads already. This unlikely little town was his last hope. If he couldn’t find what he was looking for here…then he would probably never find it. Carlos knew he was unlikely to receive a warm welcome home if he went back to Night Vale empty handed. That is, if there was anyone left there to disappoint.Today had been a long day, but now that the OOO was finally finished and deployed maybe, just maybe he could start seeing some results.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do I win the award for slowest update?
> 
> Somehow I still have a pretty solid idea where I was heading with this. 
> 
> Okay well see you in 3 years for the next chapter.... Lord no I hope not at least. This wasn't supposed to be that long I hope I can stick to it this time.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first fic in this fandom, and on this site. I hope you are enjoying it so far. I am a relitivly new writer so any comments and/or constructive criticism is appreciated.


End file.
